Will Young
Will Young |
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William Robert "Will" Young (born 20 January 1979) is a British singer-songwriter and actor.[1] He rose to fame in 2002 after winning the inaugural Pop Idol contest (February 2002), making him the first winner of the now-worldwide Idols-format franchise. He has won multiple awards. Young has sold over eight million albums worldwide.[2]
Early life
Young was born in Wokingham, Berkshire, with a fraternal twin, Rupert Maxwell Young. He also has an elder sister Emma.
Education
Young was educated at three independent schools: Horris Hill School near the village of Newtown in Berkshire and from the age of thirteen, at Wellington College in Crowthorne, also in Berkshire, and at D'Overbroeck's College in Oxford, Oxfordshire.[1] He then studied at the University of Exeter in Exeter, Devon, where he read Politics and graduated with a 2:2 honours degree. In September 2001, he became a student at the Arts Educational Schools in Chiswick, London, starting a three-year course in musical theatre with a scholarship.[citation needed]
Music
Pop Idol
In February 2002, Young came to national prominence by winning the ITV television programme contest Pop Idol. Contrary to press claims of being the underdog, after having beaten the widely accepted front-runner Gareth Gates in the final show, it emerged that Young had in fact gained the most votes in six out of the nine rounds of public voting. This was published in the Pop Idol book, which was released shortly after the programme.
The songs Young sang on the show were:
Post-Idol career
Recording
Young's first single was a double A-side featuring Westlife's song "Evergreen" and "Anything Is Possible", a new song written for the winner of the show by Chris Braide and Cathy Dennis. In March 2002, this became the fastest-selling debut in UK chart history, selling 403 027 copies on its day of release (1 108 659 copies in its first week). It went on to sell over 1.7 million copies, and on the official list of the all-time best-selling singles in the UK issued later that year, it was ranked eleventh. In 2008, Official Charts Company released the Top 40 Biggest Selling Singles of the 21st Century (so far) in which Will's version of Evergreen topped the chart.[3] On 31 December 2009, Radio 1 confirmed that "Anything Is Possible"/"Evergreen" was the biggest selling single of the 2000s decade in the United Kingdom.[3] "Anything is possible" won an Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically.
In October 2002, Young released his debut album, From Now On, which included "Evergreen" nominated in the Best single category in 2003 at the BRIT Awards and "Anything Is Possible". It produced three singles: "Light My Fire", "The Long and Winding Road" (a duet with Gareth Gates, released as a double A-side with Gates's song "Suspicious Minds") and "Don't Let Me Down"/"You and I" (released in aid of Children in Need). He won his first BRIT Award in February 2003 as Best Breakthrough Artist.[4]
Young's second album, Friday's Child, was released in December 2003. It features the singles "Leave Right Now", nominated in the Best British single category of the past 25 years at the 2005 BRIT Awards "Your Game" (which won Young his second BRIT Award in 2005)[5] and "Friday's Child" In November 2005, Young released his third album, Keep On, which included the single "All Time Love", nominated in the Best British Single category at the 2007 BRIT Awards. Other singles from the album were "Switch It On" and "Who Am I".
On 29 September 2008, Young's fourth album, Let It Go , was released it peaked at Nº2, preceded by the single "Changes" on 15 September it peaked at Nº10. His next single "Grace" was released on 1 December 2008, and peaked at Nº33 on the UK Singles Chart.[6] Will's third single taken from the album will be "Let It Go", was released on 2 March 2009 in the UK, and peaked at Nº58 on the UK Singles Chart.[7][8] The fourth and final single was "Tell Me the Worst", and was released on July 5, 2009 only in the UK. It served as a club promo, and featured some Fred Falke remixes.[9]
On an interview with Digital Spy, he revealed that he was working on a Dance-Pop album, which might be released in late 2009. He also confirmed that he was working with British duo Groove Armada, Superbass, who remixed his UK Top 10 single "Changes", and Gregg Alexander, who has previously worked with British pop diva Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Geri Halliwell. He also confirmed that he is working on an album covering songs from Noel Coward, which is yet on the very early stages and he "doesn't know if it will end up".[10]
Young's greatest hits collection was released on 16 November 2009. It includes two brand new songs, one of them the single "Hopes & Fears". The album was a success on the charts, being certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry.[11]
In 2010 Will Young collaborated with Groove Armada on their album Black Light, singing vocals on the track 'History'.
Performing
In early 2002, Young joined his fellow Pop Idol contestants in a nationwide arena tour. The final concert at Wembley was in aid of The Prince's Trust, of which Young is an ambassador, together with Gareth Gates and Darius Danesh, the runner-up and third-placed contestant in Pop Idol. In June 2002, Young performed at the Queen's Jubilee Concert in the grounds of Buckingham Palace, singing "We Are the Champions" with Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor.[12]
During July 2002, Young sang at two concerts with the renowned songwriter Burt Bacharach at Hammersmith Apollo and at the Liverpool Summerpops event. In August 2002, he performed at the closing ceremony of the 2002 Commonwealth Games, singing "I Get the Sweetest Feeling" in the pouring rain. He was praised by the announcer, Grandmaster Flash, who said that it was not easy entering a talent show. November 2002 brought an appearance at the Royal Command Performance.[13] In November 2003, Young performed the wartime song "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square", accompanied by The Squadronaires, at the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
Following a sell-out theatre tour in 2004, Young appeared at The Olympic Torch Concert, performing a duet of "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" with soul legend James Brown. Later that year, he embarked upon his first solo arena tour, another sell-out success. He toured again at outside festival venues in mid 2005. In July 2005, he performed at Edinburgh 50,000 - The Final Push, the final concert of Live 8, a charity concert in Edinburgh to raise awareness of the plight of Africa, where he duetted with James Brown once again and also sang with One Giant Leap, Neneh Cherry and Maxi Jazz. In November 2005, Young appeared in his second Royal Command Performance.[13]
In May 2006, he sang at The Prince's Trust 30th Birthday, which took place at the Tower of London.[14] From 12 September until 2 October 2006, Young toured the UK with his Keep On Live tour, which included the songs taken from his album Keep On and a selection of past songs. The official merchandise range for the tour, highlighted by the press, included a "tip and strip" pen which, when turned over, reveals Young in his underpants. In October 2006, Young sang at Nitin Sawhney's concert in the BBC Electric Proms series of concerts. He followed this by performing in South Africa for Nelson Mandela's Unite of the Stars charity concerts.[15]
In July 2007, he appeared at the Concert for Diana at the new Wembley Stadium. Young was the headline act at the Proms in the Park,[16] which took place in Hyde Park in September 2007 as part of the Last Night of the Proms. In September 2007, Young performed at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club with the Vanguard Big Band. Young took part in the Little Noise Sessions, a series of intimate, acoustic gigs for the learning disability charity, Mencap. He performed in November 2007 with special guests at Islington's Union Chapel.
In April 2008, Young again appeared at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club with the Vanguard Big Band. Young is to perform at various festivals during mid 2008, including Glastonbury, T In the Park[17] in Scotland and Bestival[18] on the Isle of Wight.
On 24 August 2008 Young appeared at the Olympic Party which took place in The Mall, London. He performed his latest single Changes and I Can See Clearly Now, which was originally sung by Johnny Nash.[19]
Young is also featured singing in trailers for the recording/film making group 1 Giant Leap's newest project "What About Me?"[20]
Young was the featured singer on the X-Factor programme on ITV1 on Saturday 1 November 2008. He also mentored the remaining contestants.[21]
Young performed in a sell-out theatre tour, commencing on 16 November 2008 and continuing until 13 December 2008 with two dates at The Roundhouse in Camden, London.
On 31 December 2008 Young was featured as a guest on Elton John's Live New Year show at the O2 Arena in London. He joined Sir Elton in the song Daniel.
Young will be performing at various festivals across the UK during the summer of 2009, starting with the Isle of Wight Festival on Saturday 13 June, including T4 On The Beach on Sunday 19 July.
Young was one of the performers at the BBC's "Live at Blackpool" programme on BBC Radio 2 on Saturday 5 September 2009.[22]
Young toured again in the UK at the end of 2009. He took to the stage at The Waterfront, Belfast on the opening night on 9 November, finishing up at the Brighton Centre on 6 December.
As part of his 2010 outdoor summer tour, it was announced that he would be a special guest and play on the Queen's Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.[23] Pop singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor will be his supporting act for his 2010 tour.[24]
Recently his 2003 song Leave Right Now has been featured on American Idol as the "departing song".[25] He also performed live on the programme on 25 May 2010. Young gave his first U.S. concert on May 26 at West Hollywood's Ultra Suede nightclub.[26] He was also featured on the cover of the U.S. magazine Instinct.[27]
Other projects
Acting career
Young added acting to his repertoire when he accepted a role in the BBC film Mrs. Henderson Presents,[28] starring Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins, in which he played Bertie. The film was released in the UK in November 2005 to excellent reviews—not least for Young's performance as both actor and singer in the film. The scene, in which Young appears naked, postdated his "absolutely thrilled" acceptance of the British male Rear of the Year Award 2005, an accolade to add to the Most Stylish Male Music Star, Best Bod, Sexiest Star, Best Dressed and Best Hair awards he had already won.
Young trod the boards in the Royal Exchange Theatre's production of The Vortex by Noel Coward. This production ran from January to March 2007 and Young played the leading role of Nicky Lancaster. Critics, including Nicholas de Jongh, were very positive.[29]
In October 2007 Young narrated an audio version of the Roald Dahl novel Danny, the Champion of the World.
Young also appears in the Marple drama The Mirror Crack'd From Side To Side and guest starred in an episode of Skins in 2010.[30][31]
He is currently starring in a new drama series on Sky Living called Bedlam, about supernatural happenings taking place at a disused asylum being converted into loft-style apartments. The £3 million six-part series began airing on 7th February 2011. It will be distributed by BBC Worldwide.[32]
Television documentaries
In November 2004, Young presented a documentary entitled Runaways[33] as part of the Children in Need campaign, highlighting the problems facing distressed teens who run away from home, and the plight they were in being picked up off the streets and railway stations by pimps who offered them work and drugs. The children did not know where to go for immediate help unless they were picked up by the police and sent to a refuge centre.
During June 2007 a series of documentaries entitled Saving Planet Earth was shown on BBC Television. Young filmed an episode about saving the gorillas of West Africa during his visit to Africa earlier in the year.
In March 2009, ITV1 arts programme The South Bank Show presented an hour long fly on the wall documentary about Young that they had been filming over the course of the year as he returned to promote the Let It Go album. It showed him in Iceland filming the video for the Let It Go single, backstage before his performance on The X Factor and on his UK theatre tour from November 2008 amongst other segments.[34]
Young has been made a "Companion" of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts.[35]
Young was a guest on Top Gear during season 12 episode 2 and was the fastest wet lap around the track in the Chevrolet Lacetti.
Young is making a documentary about Ralph Fiennes production of Shakespeare's Coriolanus which is being filmed in Serbia. He also has a small role in the film as well as being Executive Producer.[25]
Debate
On 27 October 2008, Young spoke on Celebrity at the Oxford Union, where he showed an interest in forming a band named 'Will Young and the Credit Crunchers'.[36] he was invited to appear on Question Time after he revealed he was a fan of the show.[37] He participated in the edition from Dunstable, Bedfordshire, in February 2009.[37]
Philanthropy
Young supports the charity Women's Aid, about which he wrote: "I am proud to put my name beside this cause, and hope that I might be able to help more people affected by the terrors of domestic violence, as well as help to create a wider awareness within our society."[38]
Young also supports Mencap—about which he wrote, "I'm very much in this for the long term, and I'd like to help continue to break down peoples' misconceptions and prejudices"—, The Children's Society Safe and Sound Campaign, and Positive Action Southwest (PASW),[39] for which he performed at his first solo concert, in July 2003, at Killerton House, Exeter.
Young has been an ambassador for The Prince's Trust since 2002, and performed at the 30th anniversary concert in the grounds of the Tower of London.
Together with Dame Helen Mirren, Helena Bonham Carter and Martin Freeman, Young appeared in a series of advertisements during the Christmas period 2007 for Oxfam; "Oxfam Unwrapped".
Young is the ambassador for Mood Foundation, a charity which aims to build a database of private therapists and alternative therapies to treat various types of depressive conditions. It was set up by Young's twin brother Rupert Young.[40]
Young is an ambassador for Catch22,[41] a UK young people's charity, which supports young people in tough situations. The young people may come from tough upbringings or neighbourhoods, where poverty, crime and unemployment are common features. They may be leaving care, truanting, or have been excluded from school. Some of them have started getting into trouble with the police or may have got as far as custody.[42]
Personal life
In March 2002, Young revealed that he is gay, pre-empting a tabloid newspaper that was preparing to out him. He also stated that he had never hidden and was comfortable with his sexuality.[43][44]
Discography
- From Now On (2002)
- Friday's Child (2003)
- Keep On (2005)
- Let It Go (2008)
- The Hits (2009)
References
- ^ a b c Will Young (I)
- ^ "Pop idol proves he's got longevity; Will Young is in Toon this month. Entertainment Editor GORDON BARR catches up for an exclusive chat with the singer". Evening Chronicle. 2009.
- ^ a b Digitalspy.co.uk
- ^ "Brit Awards 2003: Winners". BBC News. 21 February 2003.
- ^ "Brits 2005: The winners". BBC News. 9 February 2005.
- ^ Will Young - Home
- ^ "Let It Go Chart Position and trajectory". chartstats.com. Retrieved 2009-03-21.
- ^ UK Singles Chart - Let It Go single
- ^ Tell Me The Worst remixes
- ^ Will Young on Digital Spy
- ^ Will Young to release The Hits
- ^ "Palace pop spectacle wows Jubilee crowds". BBC News. 4 June 2002.
- ^ a b Royal Variety Performance 2002
- ^ The Prince of Wales - A star studded concert celebrates 30 years of The Prince's Trust at Tower of London
- ^ Tonight - Stars Unite Against Hunger live in SA
- ^ BBC - Proms - Proms in the Park - London
- ^ BBC - T in the Park 2008 - Will Young
- ^ BBC - 6 Music -Bestival: Amy and Young
- ^ "Will Young to play Olympic party". BBC News. 4 August 2008.
- ^ (http://www.whataboutme.tv.)
- ^ Xfactor.itv.com
- ^ BBC.co.uk
- ^ "Watson joins Young at Sandringham". BBC News. 26 March 2010.
- ^ Sophie to support Will Young
- ^ a b Americanidol.com
- ^ Will Young at Ultra Suede
- ^ Instinct Magazine
- ^ IMDb.com
- ^ Revelatory Will finds key to Coward classic| Theatre | This is London
- ^ "Will Young to star in Miss Marple". 5 August 2009. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|pwork=ignored (help) - ^ "EXCLUSIVE: Writer: 'Will Young amazing on Skins'". Digital Spy. 11 December 2009. Retrieved 20 December 2009.
- ^ "Living to air Will Young TV thriller". The Guardian. 16 August 2010. Retrieved 09 January 2011.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ BBC - Press Office - BBC Children in Need 2004 Runaways
- ^ Sonymusic.co.uk
- ^ Liverpooldailypost.co.uk
- ^ Oxford-union.org, 27 October 2008
- ^ a b "Young invited on to Question Time". BBC News. 2008-10-02. Retrieved 2009-12-22.
- ^ Womensaid.org.uk
- ^ PASW.org.uk
- ^ Moodfoundation.com
- ^ Catch-22.org.uk
- ^ Will Young visited a youth inclusion project in Barking Essex in June 2010
- ^ Will Young, Anything Is Possible, page 229
- ^ "Pop Idol Will: 'I'm gay'". BBC News. 2002-03-10. Retrieved 2009-10-08.
External links
- Official website
- Will Young discography at Discogs.
- Will Young at IMDb.
- Will Young Tour Review on the Daily Music Guide, 6 November 2008.
- Interview with Will Young on the Daily Music Guide, 8 November 2008.
- 1979 births
- Alumni of the Arts Educational Schools
- Alumni of the University of Exeter
- BRIT Award winners
- English film actors
- English male singers
- English pop singers
- English stage actors
- Gay actors
- Idol series winners
- Ivor Novello Award winners
- LGBT musicians from the United Kingdom
- LGBT people from England
- Living people
- Old Wellingtonians
- People from Hungerford
- People from Reading, Berkshire
- People from Wokingham
- Pop Idol contestants
- Sony BMG artists
- The X Factor judges
- The X Factor (UK)